Bottle-sealing machine



April 9, 1929. M. MUELLER ET AL BOTTLE SEALING MACHINE Filed Nov. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTORS MAX MUELI- ER u. wu co wx RICHARD M BLAKELY ATT RNEY M. MUELLER ET AL BOTTLE SEALING MACHINE Filed Nov. 1, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet Y/b a M SLM V wa M m m E w T W3 A m April 9, 1929.

April 1929. M. MUELLER ET AL 1,708,429

BOTTLE SEALING MACHINE Filed Nov. 1, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIGLYJ- INVENTOR MAX Hula-AER RICHARD M BLAKELY April 1929. M. MUELLER ET Al. 1,708,429

BOTTLE SEALING MACHINE Filed Nov. 1, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS MA x MUEL L 52 mum/w M. BLAKELY ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

1 UNITED STATES 1,708,429 PATENT OFFICE.

mAx MUELLEK'OF NEWARK, AND RICHARD M. BLAKELY, or HIGHLAND PARK, New

JERSEY, ASSIGNOBS, BY mnsNn ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro ACETOL rnonue'rs, me, A con- IPORATIOII OF DELAWARE.

IBOEIITLE-BEAILIN G MACHINE.

Application 111m November 1, 1924. Serial No. 747,154.

This invention relates to a bottle-sealing machine, and is an improvement over the apparatus described in a copending Patent 1,581,401 issued April 20, 1926, to Max Mueller, one of the present applicants.

Briefly, the invention disclosed in said patent contemplates a method, and apparatus for practicing the same,'of hermetically sealing containers by the application of a seal-forming substance to the closure of the container, as for example the stopper of a bottle. 7 The apparatus comprises means for carrying a plurality of containers, which may be placed thereon after the closure of each of said containers has been dipped in a seal-forming substance dissolved in any suitable solvent. The carrier for the con tainers is adapted to rotate or travel within a hood member, so that any container placed thereon will be held in an atmosphere of the vapor of the solvent of the seal-forming substance during the passage of the containers through said hood member. Means are also provided for effecting a uniform distribution of the seal-forming. substance during its fixation period.

Special features of the Mueller invention relate to the preliminary drying of the dipped containers in the vapor of the solvent used to dissolve the seal-forming substance, and to the uniform distribution of the sealforming substance, whereby the closure of the containers may be hermetically sealed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bottle-sealing machine embodying the main features disclosed in the aforesaid Mueller application, but having improved means for accomplishing said features, as for example making the movement of the containers or bottles continuous from one position to another as opposed to an intermittent movement of the Mueller disclosure.

Another object of our invent-ion is the provision of improved means employed for effecting a uniform distribution of the sealforming material about the closure of the container.

\Ve have discovered that better results may be secured if the neck of the bottle is slowly immersed in the coating substance (in liquid form) at an angle off the vertical and at the same time rotating the bottle. It is therefore a further object of our inven- A still further object of our invention resides in providing an apparatus whereby certain steps in the rocess contemplated by Mueller and carried out manually are now performed automatically, as for example the opening and closing of. the bottle holdmg devices forming part of the present machme; the automatic dipping of the bottles in the seal-forming liquor, etc.

The provision of interchangeable parts, universal work-holdin devices capable of accommodating a widia range of sizes of containers, and other features of construction and arrangement of parts tending to improve the economy and efiiciency of our machine are also ob'ects' of the invention which will manifest th ing of the following description and appended claims.

Referring tothe accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away to show certain internal mechanism, of a machine embodying our invent1on; Fig. 2 is an end elevational view, partly in section, of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of a portion of the machine illustrating the link mechanism and driving means therefor Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a bottle holder socket body;

emselves upon a read- Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional vieiv of a combined link and bottle holder; anc

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of a bottle support.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that there is provided a housing 1 comprising substantially elliptically shaped front and rear plates 2 and 3, separated a suitable distance from each other by means of spacer tubes 1 (see Fig. 2), the space between said plates being closed by a center strip or contour plate 5. The upper portion of the housing 1 is formed of separate end sections 6 and 7 which are adapted to be joined by a central section 8, the latter being removed when the machine is in operation. The housing forms an inte ral part of the machine and may be made rom sheets of galvanized iron of suitable gage fastened together by corner irons 9 and rivets 10. The purpose of having the housing form substantially a complete closure for the internal mechanism isto make it possible to seal the closure of a bottle or container in the vapor of the solvent of the seal-forming substance as will hereinafter be more fully explained.

A suitable framework composed of flat or angle irons supports the housing 1 from the floor, imparting rigidity thereto and affords a framework upon which may be. mounted the various mechanisms comprising the operating parts of themachine. This structure may comprise front and rear angle irons 11 and 12 respectively, secured to the top edges of plates 2 and 3 for strengthening the same. Four legs 13 in the form of an le irons are riveted to the sides of the housmg 1 and support the same from the floor, said legs being secured in place by means of floor angles 14. A cam thrust plate 15 1s bolted to the top angle irons 11 and 12 and will be more fully explained subsequently.

There is provided an endless chain of links having bottle holders 16 mounted thereon. Each of the links comprising the chain is formed of a link plate 17 and the several plates are joined together at their extremity by'link rods 18. Positioned on the ends of the link rods 18 are rollers 19, held in place in any suitable manner, as for example with washers and cotter pins. The chain is composed in the present instance of twenty links, each of which is adapted to carry two bottle holders, but these are details of construction which obviously can be changed to suit the circumstances, depending upon the particular use to which a given machine is applied. This particular feature of the invention will be hereinafter more fully described.

Tracks for the link rollers 19, Figs. 1 and 2, may comprise an inner roller guide 21 and an outer roller guide 22, each having a flared extension 21 to receive the rollers 19; said members forming a channel which constitutes a track to guide the conveyor during movement after leaving the sprocket wheel 25. These tracks are supported by bars 23 suitably secured to the housing 1. The outer sections of these tracks are made so that strips of flexible material, such as friction rubbers 24 and 25 (see Fig. 1), can be anchored at different sections of the tracks by means of retainer members 24 to rotate the bottle holders 16 and thereby effect an even distribution of the seal-formingsubstance during the immersion and fixation period of the film formed by said substance. Any suitable length of friction rubber 24 may be employed to cause a continuous rotation of a head 16 during a given portion of its travel. The friction rubber 24 is so disposed and may be of sufficient length to cause a rotation of a head and consequently a bottle carried thereby just prior to, during immersion in a sealing liquid and until just after removal from the liquid. The friction rubber 25 may, as shown, be positioned at another point along the path of travel of the heads 16, thus permitting the heads an interim of rest from rotation during a part of their travel between the friction rubbers but again effecting their rotation for a given period of time as found desirable from experiment or calculation and for urposes such as will be hereinafter more ully explained. The chain of links is moved by means of a pair of sprocket wheels 25 (Fig.

Each of the bottle holders 16 is comprised of two pair of vertical resilient steel clamping arms 26 and 27, made for example from heavy piano wire, the contacting portion of each arm being curved and provided with a rubber tube pad 28. Each pair of the arms 26 and 27 is disposed at right angles to each other, and arms 26 are shorter than arms 27, so as to insure ample gripping means for various sizes of containers. The arms 26 and 27 are angular in shape, being pivoted by means of bearing pins 29 mounted in radially disposed slotted lugs 31 cast or formed in a socket body 32. The socket body is provided with a circular flange 20 having a knurled edge. This flange which may be termed a driving-disk for the bottle holder is so arranged on each holder as to frictionally engage with the friction rubbers 24 and 25 disposed adjacent to the path of movement of the bottle holders. The driving-disks, therefore, make contact with the friction rubbers and cause a rotation of holders which are rotatably mounted on the conveyor as described below.

Concentrically arranged in the socket body 32 is a common plunger 34 provided with an extension upon which is secured a helical tension spring 35, one end of which abuts against the socket body 32, and the other is held in place by a retaining washer 36 and a cotter pin 37. A pair of bottle holders 16 is rotatably mounted on each of the link plates 17 and retained from vertical movement by a shoulder 30 and a retaining collar 38 secured in position by a lock pin 39. For the purpose of normally maintaining the clamping arms 26 and 27 in closed or gripping positions, an end of the plunger 34 is provided with a collar or head '34 having a circumferential groove 35 to receive ends 36 and 37 of the arms 26 and 27 which are free to oscillate by reason of their hearing pins 29. Thus, since the expansive action of the spring 35 serves to move the collar 34 downwardly, the contact pads 28 will be moved to grip an object disposed therebetween. An opposite movement of the pads 28 may be effected by an upward movement of the plunger 34 cau sing the arms 26 and 27 rock about their pivot points and be pos1t1oncd to release or receive an object. An actuation of the plungers is caused by means disposed adjacent to the path of movement of the conveyor by means of a contact or cam memher to be later described. A spacer tube 41 is provided which is inserted into the socket body 32 and may be of any desired length for accommodating a given size bottle sothat the same may be firmly gripped by the arms 26- and 27. Spacer tubes of various lengths may be provided to accommodate different heights of bottles, and the configuration of the receiving or contacting portion of said tube may be made to conform to the contour of the bottle, i. e., made either round, square or the like (see Figs. 5 and 6). A rubber cushion block 42 adapted to be inserted in the socket body 41 forms a protection cushion and seat for the bottle.

Referring to Fig. 3, the link sprockets 25 are mounted upon a shaft 43 and may be secured thereon by means of pins (not shown). The shaft 43 is journalled in suitable bearings 44, held in. place by shaft collars 45 pinned to said shaft. The sprockets shown are provided with nine teeth properly proportioned for engagement w1th the link rollers 19.

A motor 46 is the source of power employed for driving the chain of links and is connected to a large gear 47 carried upon the end of sprocket shaft 43 by means of pinion 48 mounted upon an intermediate shaft 49. The shaft 49 also carries a' large gear 51, which in turn meshes with a pinion 52 on the shaft 53 of a worm gear reduction unit 54. The reduction unit 54 may consist of a worm and gear, thrust bearing, shaft gland, and enclosed housing. Such parts are well known to the art and may be selected in accordance with approved practice, which would result in a very large reduction in the speed imparted to the sprocket shaft 43, and therefore these parts are not shown in detail. The motor gear reduction unit and associated mechanism may be mounted upon a suitable bracket casting 55, secured to the rear plate 3 of the housing 1.

The trough-shaped liquor pan 56, Figs. 1

and 2, is fastened to a slide bar 57 by means of bolts 58, which extend through the slide bar 57 and engage with threaded apertures in a bracket 59 which carries the liquor pan 56. On the bar 57' is also bolted a liquor reservoir 61 having a sleeve 62 and connected by means of a pipe 63 to the liquor pan 56. The slide bar 57 is held against a slide bar guide 64 by means of clamps 65 nd is adjustable vertically by means of pinion 66 in mesh with a rack 67 integral or suitably attached to the slide bar 57, the pinion being mounted on a shaft 68 terminating in a crank 69. The shaft 68 is journalled in a bracket bearing 71 secured to the front face plate 2 of the housing 1. The mechanism just described could be of such a construction that the crank 69 could be removed as if made in the form of a socket Wrench adapted to fit a suitable socket provided in the pinion shaft 68.

The liquor pan 56 is provided with an apron 72 secured thereto by means of fastener members which may take the form of socket brackets 73 and 74 connected by pin 75. By this arrangement the apron may be removed from the liquor pan by lifting the former vertically. A window 76 is provided in the rear plate 3 of the housing for the purpose of observation or may be opened for cleaning liquor pan 56.

The sleeve 62 of the reservoir 61 has mounted therein a gage ring 77 for supporting a bottle of the seal-forming substance or liquor in an inverted position. The gage ring 77 has a vertical adjustment effected by means of oppositely disposed set-screws 78 extending through longitudinal apertures 79 provided in the sleeve 62. The threaded end of the screws 78 are adapted to fit threaded recesses formed in the ring 77 and the heads of said screws are arrested by engagement with a clamp 80 provided with a gasket 81, said clamp and gasket conforming to the contour of the sleeve 62. The liquor bottle is protected from accidental breakage by means of a circular guard plate 82 supported upon the slide bar 57 by means of a spring hinge 83 and pin 84.

It will be seen that by virtue of the rack mechanism it is possible to vertically adjust the liquor reservoir unit and the depth of the liquor in the liquor pan 56 may be regulated by adjusting the bottle gage ring 77 which fixes the height of the mouth of the bottle containing the seal-forming liquor, this factor in turn determining the level of the liquor in the pan 56. This construction affords a constant supply of liquor in the pan 56 and makes it possible to obtain any length or depth of seal about the closure of the bottle and the neck thereof.

A pair of cam members 85, cooperatively positioned with respect to the plungers 34 of the bottle holders, are held in place by clamping bolts 86 and suitable spacers associated therewith. The cams 85 automatically effect the opening and closing of the bottle holders 16, and their cam surfaces are preferably of differentangles so as to afford a quick grip on the bottle when leaving the loading position and a gradual release thereof when approaching the unloading position.

Although any satisfactory seal-forming substance or liquor may be employed, we

' elastic film, unaffected by water, alcohol, ,oil

and the like. On drying a contraction occurs. All these qualities make it es ecially useful for sealing bottles as the m will follow all the irregularities of the sto per. In order to produce a film having t e necessary ualities the cellulose acetate solution must viscous enough to give thickness to the film and the solvent must evaporate as rapidly as possible, at the same time, distributing itself evenly and not condensing any moisture from the air which would precipitate part of the cellulose acetate thereby weakening the film and producing white marks. By dipping and partially drying the bottle in the atmosphere of the solvent vapor, all excess solution is removed without evaporating the solvent prior to complete drying and consequent formation of the film or seal.

The operation of our machine may be described as follows. It is to be appreciated that the central section 8 of the housing 1 is removed when the machine is in use and that the proper type of spacer tubes 41 for supporting a given size andshape of bottle have been inserted in the holders 16. Further, since in the present instance there are twenty of the link plates 17, for the sake of convenience the machine will be considered as having a corresponding number of posiholders 16 are automatically opened by engagement of the plungers 34 with the cam members 85. The bottle holders are moved slowly and continuously in a counter clockwise direction and upon their leaving the surface of cams 85 the bottles are gripped by the arms 26 and 27. This grip is maintained until a given bottle returns to position N0. 20, after which it is soon released as the plunger 34 moves forward on the cam 85.

Just as the bottle reaches position No. 8

the knurled rim on the circular flange 20 fore it is immersed in the liquor in the pan 56. It will be noted that the mouth of the bottle is dipped by gradual immersion (see position No. 9) while holding the bottle at an angle off the vertical and rotating it. This permits the air to escape and produce a film or seal free fromair bubbles. The rotation of the bottle continues until just after it leaves the seal-forming liquor between positions Nos. 12 and 13. The bottle does not revolve then for a short distance in order that the liquid can drain off on to the apron 72 and back into the liquor pan 56. Between positions Nos. 15 and 16 the knurled'edge': of the flange 20 of the holder traverses the friction rubber 25 and the rotating of the bottle begins again in order to equally distribute the sealing film. About half way between positions 17 and 18 the jbottle agaln ceases to rotate but there is no interruption in the slow forward motion of the holders. .When the bottle reaches position No. 20 it is lifted out of the holder. As soon as it comes in contact with the air a film forms on the surface of the coating which prevents the latter from flowing to the lowest spot, thereby insuring the regularity of the film. The complete drying is done by letting the bottle stand in the air at ordinary temperature.

With the speed of motor and the gearing used, each pair of holders consumes 12 seconds in moving from one position to another. This speed results in a total capacity of 600 sealed bottles per hour.

While our invention has been set forth in certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood that modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

Where the term closure is used in the specification and claims, it is wished to be understood as including not only the stopper of a bottle, for example, but also that portion of the bottle neck immediately adjacent the mouth thereof. Also where the term bottle is employed it is used in the sense of merely being one form of a container which the machine is adapted to treat.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bottle-sealing machine, a chain conveyor, bottle holders mounted upon said conveyor, means for continuously advancing said conveyor, a pan adapted to contain a seal-forming liquid and disposed adjacent to the path of movement of said conveyor so as to permit the entrance of the necks of the bottles carried by said holders to pass through said liquid in such a manner that the necks of the bottles are immersed in the seal-forming'substance at an angle to the vertical, means for rotating said bottles prior to and during the immersion of the necks thereof in said liquid, said last mentioned means becoming ineffective as the coated bottle emerges from the seal-forming liquid and means for again rotating said bottle holders during the seal-forming period, whereby the closures of said bottles are covered with a seakuniformly distributed and free from air bubbles.

2. In a bottle-sealing machine, a chain conveyor having bottle holders "mounted thereon, means located adjacent to the path of movement of said conveyor for holding a quantity of seal-forming substance in liquid form, means for continuously advancing said conveyor for immersing the necks of bottles in the seal-forming substance at an angle to the vertical and means for rotating said bottles prior to and during immersion in said liquid.

In a bottle-sealing machine, a chain of links having bottle holders mounted thereon, means for continuously advancing saidi chain, means located adjacent to the path of said chain for holding a quantity of a sealforming substance in liquid form and means cooperating with said chain for rotating said bottle holders asthey approach the surface of said seal-forming substance for immersing the necks of the bottles therein at an angle off the vertical.

4. In a bottle-sealing machine, a chain of links having bottle holders mounted thereon, means located adjacent to the path of movement of said chain for holding a quantity of seal-forming substance in liquid form, means for continuously advancing said chain for immersing the necks of the bottles in the seal-forming substance, means for rotating said bottles prior to and during immersion in said liquid, said last-mentioned means becoming ineffective following the immersion of the bottle necks, and means for automatically releasing the coated bottle fronr its holder.

5. In a bottle-sealing machine, a conveyor comprising a plurality of bottle holders, gripping members associated with each holder to support and grip a bottle with the neck thereof exposed, actuating members axially disposed in each holder for moving said gripping members, a'container locatedadjacent to the path of said conveyor adapted to hold a quantity of seal-forming substance in liquid form, means for moving said conveyor to immerse the necks of bottles in said liquid and means adjacent 'tothe path of movement of said conveyor for moving said actuating members.

6. In a bottle-sealing machine, a conveyor comprising a plurality of bottle holders, oscillatory gripper arms associated with each holder to support and grip a bottle with the neck thereof exposed, a plunger for actuating said arms, a container located adjacent to the path of said conveyor adapted to hold a quantity of seal-forming substance in liquid form, means for regulating the depth to which the exposed end of the bottles are immersed in said substance, means for moving said conveyor to immerse the of link plates, abottle holder rotatably mounted in each plate, said plates being adapted to form a link chain, a track for said chain, a pair of chain driving sprockets,

- a motor and reduction gear train for driving said sprockets, a pan adapted to contain l quid located adjacent to the path of said link chain for the immersion of the bottle necks in said liquid and means adjacent to the path of movement of said chain for engaging and rotating said bottle holders durng the time the neck of a bottle is immersed in the said liquor.

. 8. In a bottle-sealing machine, a plurality of link plates, bottle holders rotatably mounted in said plates, said plates being adapted to form a link chain, a track for said chain, a pair of chain drivin sprockets, a motor for driving said sprockets, a pan adapted to contain liquor located adjacent to the path of said link chain, means disposed adjacent to said pan for engaging and rotating said bottle holders during the time the neck of the bottle is immersed in the liquor contained in said pan, said pan being so disposed as to cause the immersion of the necks of bottles in the liquor at an angle to the vertical whereby there is formed about the closure of the bottle a seal free from air bubbles.

9. In a bottle-sealing machine, a plurality of link plates having bottle holders rotatably mounted thereon, said plates being adapted to form a link chain, a track for said chain, a pair of chain driving sprockets, a motor for driving said sprockets, a pan adapted to contain a sealing liquid positioned for the immersion of the necks of bottles in said holders, a friction member disposed adjacent to said pan to engage with and rotate said bottle holders during the time the necks of the bottles are immersed in the liquid contained in said pan, and means for again rotating the bottles prior to their removal from the holder whereby a uniform distribution of the seal-forming substance is effected, said friction member and said last mentioned means being so positioned as to permit a termination of the rotation of the holders subsequent to the passage of the bottle necks through said liquid.

10. In a bottle-sealing machine, a conveyor comprising a plurality of bottle holders, means associated with each holder to support and grip a bottle with the neck thereof exposed and in a given relative position, a container located adjacent to the path of said conveyor and adapted to hold a quantity of seal-forming substance in liquid form, means for varying the level of said substance in said container, means for automatically replenishing the supply of said substance so as to maintain a given level thereof and means for adjusting said container with respect to the exposed end of the bottle, whereb the depth of the seal about the closure 0 the bottle may be varied.

11. In a bottle-sealing machine, a plurality of link plates having bottle holders mounted thereon, oscillatory gripping .members associated with each holder to grip and support a bottle with the neck thereof exposed, a reciprocable member incorporated in each holder for actuating said gripping members, said plates'being adapted to form a link chain, a link track for said-chain, means for moving said chain, a liquor pan located adjacent to the path of said link chain and adapted to permit the insertion of the bottle necks into the liquor contained therein and means adjacent the path of movement of said chain to actuate said reciprocable member,

12. In a bottle-sealing machine, a plurality of link plates having bottle holders mounted thereon, gripping arms associated with each holder to support and grip a bottle with the neck thereof exposed, a plunger disposed axially of each of said holders to operate said arms, said plates being adapted to form a link chain, a link track for said chain, a liquor pan located adjacent to the path of said link chain and adapted to permit the insertion of the bottle necks into the liquor contained therein, means for adjusting said liquor pan with respect to the exposed ends of the bottles, whereby the depth of the seal about the closure of the bottles may be varied and means for actuating said plunger to move said gripping arms.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names this 29th day of October, 1924.

MAX MUELLER. RICHARD M. BLAKELY. 

